


The First Day

by teaberryblue



Category: Harry Potter - Fandom
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-05
Updated: 2013-09-05
Packaged: 2017-12-25 17:19:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,037
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/955717
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teaberryblue/pseuds/teaberryblue





	The First Day

“Now, I want all of you to partner, partner...does everyone have a partner?” Professor Slughorn asked, as he went around the Potions classroom, his beady eyes looking over the young, expectant faces of this newest crop of students. He stopped by a table, with a frown. “...no, no, you! You can’t be in a threesome, not when there’s an even number of students to go ‘round. Here, Potter, you go work with Pettigrew, over here--”  
  
Professor Slughorn nodded to a table where a small, chubby boy was sitting alone. He had a meek look to him, his shoulders hunched in, his eyes fixed on the tabletop in front of him, in much contrast to the Potter boy, who had an air of cocky confidence as he picked up his books and strutted over to Pettigrew’s table, turning back to blow a noisy kiss at the two boys he’d left behind.  
  
He stopped in front of Lily. “The two of you...you need partners?” he asked, his eyes moving from her red-and-gold tie to Severus’ green-and-silver one.   
  
Lily shook her head, and caught at Severus’ hand underneath the table. “No,” she said. Her eyes darted to Severus, who was looking cautiously at the teacher, as if he expected Professor Slughorn to break them up, like the Sorting Hat had done. “No, we want to be partners.”  
  
Professor Slughorn raised an eyebrow. “You do?” he asked. “A Gryffindor and a Slytherin, together? I can’t say it’s...well, it is unheard of, certainly unheard of, but not to be discouraged. Rather, I applaud you both.”   
  
He cleared his throat and looked around the room. “Let this be a lesson to you all, Mister Prin-- Ah, no, I keep wanting to call you by your mother’s name, boy, but I forget myself again; what was it?”  
  
There was a rash of giggling from the Slytherin side of the room. Severus whirled around and glared at them all, with dark, fierce eyes. He looked back at the Professor. “Snape,” he said. “Severus Snape.”   
  
“Mister Snape, and Miss--” Slughorn waited for Lily to supply her name.  
  
“Evans, sir,” she replied. “Lily Evans.”   
  
“Evans?” Slughorn looked confused for a moment. “I haven’t had any of your family before; who are your parents?”  
  
She took a moment, too, to narrow her eyes and glare back at Severus’ classmates, before raising her head high and proudly. “I’m a muggleborn,” she announced.   
  
The Potter boy let out a low wolf-whistle. She turned her glare on him, for just a moment. She could feel Severus’ hand tighten around hers, hear him growl low, under his breath. She let go of his hand, and patted it instead.   
  
Professor Slughorn cleared his throat. “Well, ahem, let this be a lesson to you all,” he repeated. “Mister Snape and Miss Evans are already doing their part to promote house unity, and I suppose that means...ah, Mister Mulciber? Miss Bones? You’ll have to pair up.”  
  
“But, Professor!” Mulciber objected hotly, stepping away from Miss Bones’ table instead of toward it. “You can’t honestly believe-- everyone knows the Bones family is a dirty lot of blood traitors!”  
  
Slughorn’s face went stony. “Mister Mulciber, we will not use words like that in this class; is that understood? Now, go sit with your new lab partner; I’m sure she won’t turn you into a Muggle, if that’s what you’re afraid of. Some of the most brilliant young wizards I have ever met were half-bloods, so we won’t have any of that nonsense in this class, and I think that’s quite enough of that discussion for today, particularly since this is not a magical ethics class. No, last I checked we were in Introductory Potions for First Year Witches and Wizards, and if you can all turn to the first page in your textbooks, we’ll start by familiarizing ourselves with basic potions-making equipment...”  
  
The teacher stopped them both as they left the classroom. “Miss Evans?” he called. “Mister Snape? Stop by my desk a moment, will you?”  
  
They exchanged a worried glance: were they in trouble? His hand caught his, and they shuffled toward the front of the classroom. Lily could feel the hair on the back of her neck standing on end; she knew the other children were staring at them, whispering things behind their backs. Severus would have something to say about that later, she was sure.  
  
She readied herself for a scolding, but instead, Slughorn’s face broke into a broad smile. “I was very impressed by both of you today,” he told them.  
  
“Thank you, Professor,” Lily said, straightening up a bit where she stood. She nudged Severus’ foot with her own; sometimes he forgot thank yous.  
  
He lowered his head. “Thank you,” he mumbled in agreement.   
  
“Your work was impeccable,” Professor Slughorn went on. “Especially for a Muggleborn and a-- has someone been teaching you at home?”  
  
“No, sir,” said Severus.  
Lily nodded to Severus. “He has,” she said proudly. “Sev’s taught me everything I know. So far. My family didn’t even know what magic was, but he’s been ever so helpful.”   
  
Slughorn looked back and forth between the two again. “I see. Well, you’re not supposed to be doing underage magic off school grounds, but given the circumstances, I suppose I’ll let it slide. I was...I should say, I was impressed by your work, but I was also impressed with the way you carried yourselves in class today.”  
  
Now his eyes were on Lily. “I think the Sorting Hat may have made a grave error, my dear; for I would have very much liked to have you in Slytherin.”  
  
“I was hoping for Slytherin,” Lily answered earnestly. “But Gryffindor is nice, too.”  
  
The teacher smiled. “The colors match your lovely hair,” he assured her. “You have a mane fit for a lioness.”  
  
She laughed, and shook out her mane. Then her eyes caught Severus’. He was eyeing her with admiration, but there was a wistfulness there, too.   
  
Slughorn cleared his throat, reminding her that there was another person in the room. “Well,” he said, with an air of finality. “I was hoping you would accept my invitation to...oh, well, it’s a little club, of sorts, you see...”


End file.
